sustainable urban living

• Define 'urban greening'.

  Urban greening is public landscaping and urban forestry projects that create mutually beneficial relationships between city dwellers and their environments.
• List the social benefits of urban greening.

  • Encourages socialisation & exercise

  • Makes woman and children feel safer

  • Improves quality of services
• List the economic benefits of urban greening.

  • Boosts house prices

  • Encourages investment in the area

  • Reduces loss of working days due to improved health

  • Improves quality of services
• List the environmental benefits of urban greening.

  • Reduces the heat island effect

  • Storage of water by plants

  • Reduces the risk of floods

  • Absorbing atmospheric pollutants
• What does sustainable management involve?

  Using strategies to ensure that people's needs are met now, without depriving future generations.
• What strategies can be employed to reduce traffic congestion?

  • Charging more for the use of roads

  • Improving public transport

  • Creating pedestrianised shopping areas

  • Promoting park-and-ride services
• Explain how charging more for the use of roads can reduce traffic congestion.

  Congestion charges, higher parking fees and penalties for overstaying time limits in restricted parking areas may encourage people to use public transport instead of cars.
• Explain how improving public transport can reduce traffic congestion.

  Creating fast, efficient and reliable services, including more frequent services and designated bus lanes, will encourage people to use public transport over cars.
• Explain how creating pedestrianised shopping areas can reduce traffic congestion.

  Pedestrianising main shopping areas in city centres can reduce congestion around these busy areas and make roads safer for pedestrians.
• Explain how promoting park-and-ride services can reduce traffic congestion.

  Encouraging people to drive to a large car park outside the city and take a short bus ride in can reduce the level of congestion in the city centre. This is particularly useful during busy events, such as football games and concerts.
• Give an example of a city where urban transport strategies have been introduced.

  London.
• Describe the Docklands Light Railway.

  The Docklands Light Railway is an automatic train system that connects east London to the city centre. It operates mostly on tracks above street level, though parts are underground. It is used by around 120 million people each year.
• Describe London's Underground system.

  London's Underground system takes 3 million people off the roads every day. A new underground line, Crossrail, is being built east to west across the city - it will increase rail capacity in central London by 10% when it's completed.
• Describe the self-service bicycles in London.

  Self-service bicycles are available to hire, and are cheaper than other forms of public transport. Bike lanes and special bike signals at junctions can improve cyclists' safety.
• Describe 'Oyster Cards'.

  Electronic 'Oyster Cards' allow people to travel on most of London's public transport networks without buying separate tickets. They can be automatically topped up and are swiped on entry and exit from stations and buses, making them quick and easy to use.
• Give examples of water conservation schemes.

  • Collecting rainwater for use on gardens or for flushing toilets.

  • Installing toilets that flush less water.

  • Installing water meters so that people have to pay for the water that they use.

  • Encouraging people to use less water, e.g. by turning off taps when not in use.
• Give examples of waste recycling schemes.

  • Kerbside collections of recyclable materials.

  • Building recycling facilities to deal with larger items, e.g. fridges.

  • Websites where items are offered for free so they can be used by others instead of being thrown away.
• Give examples of energy conservation schemes.

  • Promoting renewable energy (e.g. wind or solar) over coal or gas fired power stations
  • Encouraging people to make their homes more energy efficient, e.g. governments can let homeowners who generate electricity from renewable sources (e.g. solar panels) sell excess energy to the national grid
  • Making sure that all new homes meet minimum energy efficiency requirements
  • Encouraging people to reduce car use, e.g. by using public transport